


I Have a Surprise for You

by aratheli



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Pills, allusions to suicide attempts, trust me the gangs all there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-24 07:20:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14950127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aratheli/pseuds/aratheli
Summary: Keith dreams, directly after Shiro's revival, and can't seem to wake himself up.





	I Have a Surprise for You

Everything hurt. Tremendously. Nevertheless, Keith took the effort to look down at his feet.

His socks and pants were filthy, sitting in a rickety wicker chair they had found at Goodwill. His pills were there, too, scattered along the wooden floor, bottle cracked. When he looked up and directly across, he could see the torn couch and posters, drapes loosely covering the windows, coffee table covered in what looked like blood. Keith glanced at his wrists to make sure; they were covered in bandages.

He didn’t know why, but the first thing he thought of was to call for his mother. “Krolia?” He didn’t expect an answer, but it felt like something he should do. “Krolia?”

His arms shook as he pushed himself upright and off the wobbly chair. Interesting. His head spun like a hurricane, and he stumbled to go lay on the couch, but as soon as he got there, he fell right through onto the desert floor.

What?

Keith, now with a mouthful of sand, struggled to find balance between his arms. It seemed too much difficulty coursed through his veins at the moment, and everything burned. He tried to stand on his fists, but his wrists scorched, and he fell over. What happened?

There was a glimmer in his closed eye. He opened it, and noticed a mirror standing a few feet away.

An army crawl seemed to be all he was capable of, and when he made it to the mirror, he almost didn’t recognise himself. How old was he? He was more chiseled in the face than he remembered, stubble beginning to grow around his chin, and a distinct stripe adorned his cheek. His eyes were still purple, but they now were accompanied by a yellow tint. His hair reached his back now, and he had silver roots. What was going on?

A crunch scared him, and he flinched around to see that a form approached rather rapidly. Fuck. Where was his blade?

His neck hair stood on end, and he flipped onto his back as quick as he could. The figure came into his view and he recognised the man, but just barely; lavender skin and white locks, pointed ears and deadly eyes. Keith finally located his blade strapped to his back and wielded it as best as he could before the man launched himself to tackle him to the ground. Keith’s pain skyrocketed, but the adrenaline was beginning to kick in, and he realised he might fight for his life, regardless of whether or not he understood what was going on.

Lotor. That was his name. How did he know him?

Keith swung his knife with no purpose, as Lotor carried his own sword, and cut Keith’s thigh. Keith grunted and tried to crab-walk backwards, away and far and as soon as possible, but Lotor wasn’t done. There was another sharp pierce in his leg, and another, before Lotor crawled atop of him and tried to stab Keith in the face. Keith clutched Lotor’s arm in an attempt to prevent more movement, but Lotor fought with every inch of his being. He pulled free of Keith’s grip and raised his arm to make another stab, but Keith’s arm barred his endeavor. The knife was so close to his face; Lotor was really trying. Keith dared to look directly in the prince’s eyes, but all he saw was white hair, a nose scar, and a fierce gaze that was once friendly. Shiro.

His bottom lip quivered, and as his brother tried again to stab him in the face, Keith turned his head and screamed as loud as he could. Eyes squeezed shut, tears spilling, tasting the metal of a sword as he screeched out. But then the sun turned off, the sand was a new, hard material, and the weight on him alleviated.

He waited before looking though, and when he finally did open his eyes, he was sitting on the floor of the lounge room of the castle. The crystal blue lights were the only thing on, and it made the atmosphere very cryptic. But that was nothing compared to the sudden whooping and hollering behind him. He stood up as quick as he could and turned, finding his teammates, along with some other aliens (and his mother), clapping ecstatically, big smiles and whistles all around.

Shiro appeared again, and smiled alongside him, taking a small bow before pushing Keith down into a chair. Lance got up and offered to help, his friends still cheering, taking Keith’s hand and placing it on the rim of the armrest, where a buckle was fastened around his wrist. Shiro tightened the other one, and then they moved on to his ankles.

“What’s going on,” Keith whispered to no one, not struggling in the slightest, feeling his tears beginning to dry but swell up again in his eyes. The clapping faded, and Shiro gazed at his brother.

“Hey,” the black-armoured man said, smiling, and placing a firm hand on Keith’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?” He didn’t give Keith time to answer, though.

The room blackened and a projector behind him lit up the wall above the group, where they all turned to watch. A series of clips began to play overhead.

_“Keith, we have to go back for Allura!”_

_“Keith, put that away!”_

_“Keith, you’re splitting up the team!”_

_“Keith, knock it off!”_

_“Keith? As a leader?”_

_“Keith, don’t walk away when I’m talking to you!”_

A tear dropped from his eye, and the yelling continued. The projector played moments from his time with Voltron, to times at the orphanage, to times with his doctors, times at the Garrison, times as the black paladin… 

A boo erupted from Pidge’s mouth, and everyone was quick to do the same. They howled at the screen, throwing things, yelling profanities, all as Shiro and Lance stood by his side laughing.

Keith sobbed.


End file.
